Rotary recounts strong year of activities

In addition to its work on the Boy Scout Cabin restoration, the Rotary Club of Hudson reports accomplishments in multiple areas of importance to the Hudson community for its fiscal year that ended June 30, according to press release detailing its activities.  

The 37th Annual Rotary Gala was a success, the release said, including high quality silent and live auction items, an enjoyable social hour and dinner, exciting raffles and a chance to hear about the featured beneficiaries.

“We met our financial goals to be able to continue scholarships for Hudson High School seniors, purchase medical equipment needed by Hudson EMS and to support Akron Children’s Hospital/NEO Gift of Life, in their efforts to provide life-saving cardiac surgery to underprivileged children from the third world,” it said.

One vocational and six college scholarships were awarded in May to deserving HHS seniors in honor of Professor Dan Williams who guided this Rotary program for many years, participating in the extensive interview and selection process. At the awards ceremony each recipient introduced a teacher who had influenced their development and then gave a synopsis of their high school experiences. The awardees for 2023 were Kirra Janecek, Gabrielle Hantzlicek, Kati Babitsky, Maxwell Gyurky, Zane Zarges, Anthony Yohos and Alyssa Zumbo.

In 2015, the Rotary Club of Hudson established the Jimmy Sutphin Award to recognize a deserving Hudson community leader who most closely reflects dedication to the “Service Above Self” Rotary standard. The initial recipient was Jimmy “Inky” Sutphin, a friend and colleague of both Rotary and the Hudson community. Sutphin was universally loved by local citizens who benefited from his communication skills and empathy for all he encountered, the release noted. This year, on the night of the Gala, the award honored Fire/EMS Chief Jerry Varnes on his 10th anniversary as chief. The release said Varnes “has made a difference in many lives in Hudson and was a courageous leader during the COVID pandemic that changed so many lives in our community.”

Even though the Rotary Club lost a few members over the past couple of years due to illness and relocation, it has added six new members who are already contributing their skills to meaningful projects, according to the press release. The current membership stands at 55, meeting each Wednesday morning from 7-8:30 a.m. at Hudson Meadows on Barlow Road for a networking continental breakfast and a speaker in the theater. Various committees meet monthly after the speaker presentations and would be happy to have new members with ideas for community projects, it said.

Anyone interested in attending a meeting as a guest of Rotary is invited to register at rotaryhudson.org. ∞